The regulations require, among other things, that each medical cannabis business use security cameras to record all exterior doors, parking areas and all areas inside the businesses except bathrooms and changing rooms. The cameras will monitor the businesses 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The businesses also will be required to hire one uniformed security guard each to patrol their business area during hours of operation. An additional stipulation requires the businesses to provide for an off-hours security guard, who will patrol the area after business hours. The businesses may share in the cost of the after-hours security guard. The requirement of the after-hours security guard will be revisited 90 day after the business operations begin.

City officials oppose new wireless bill

The city of Ojai has sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown opposing a controversial wireless communications bill.

SB 649 passed the California Assembly and Senate in September and is on the governor's desk for consideration.

The bill, authored by Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego, has faced a storm of opposition since its introduction in February.

As drafted, it would give wireless providers a considerable advantage over local government in negotiating the placement of powerful microwave radiation antennas on public property and in the public right of way.

These antennas, called “small cells,” could be placed on utility poles, traffic lights, street lamps and street signs throughout the city, along with refrigerator-sized power equipment on sidewalks.

A section of underground water pipe that burst, causing a 24,000-gallon leak in an Ojai neighborhood, was displayed at the Casitas Municipal Water District (CMWD) board of directors meeting Oct. 11. The leak was reported Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Ventura and Matilija streets. For approximately two hours, roughly 200 gallons per minute leaked from the pipe, according to Ron Merckling, CMWD water conservation and public affairs manager. The four-inch-diameter cast iron pipe, installed in 1934, was heavily corroded and partially obstructed by iron deposits. Merckling added that some of the valves near the origin of the leak were not working. The pipe failure was the latest example of the aging infrastructure CMWD is working to replace in the transition from Golden State Water Company, Merckling said. “We're trying to upgrade the system over the next three to five years so that it works for everybody in a reliable and sustainable way,” he added.

Officials warning of extreme fire danger in Ojai Valley

Details

Published on Thursday, 12 October 2017 13:09

Ojai Valley News photo by Perry Van Houten

This fuel break, known as the “last chance fuel break” by the Ventura County Fire Department, helps protect Ojai from wildfires.

Andra Belknap, Ojai Valley News reporter

As of Oct. 12, 8,000 firefighters were battling 21 wildfires throughout California that had burned more than 190,000 acres. Four of those fires have caused 23 deaths and destroyed approximately 3,500 homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The majority of the fires are burning in Northern California, though fires are also burning in San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles counties.

Meanwhile, brush in the Ojai Valley, or “fuel beds,” have been labelled critically dry for the first time in 2017, according to the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD).

“The drier a fuel bed is, the more receptive it is to any type of ignition,” said Capt. Stan Ziegler of VCFD.

A week-long investigation by Ventura County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) detectives led to the arrest of an Oak View man on child pornography, sexual battery and other charges.

According to the VCSO, 64-year-old George Baker Jr. allegedly targeted students at a recent Nordhoff High School football game.

On Sept. 29 at 9:21 p.m., Ojai deputies and school officials received a report of a man in the stadium taking pictures of female students.

Deputies found Baker at the game and escorted him off campus.

Detectives launched an investigation, and working with school officials identified two victims who had come forward following the incident.

“The investigation revealed the suspect had battered one victim, sexually battered the second, and he was in violation of child annoying by taking photographs of both victims in a provocative manner,” stated VCSO detective Will Hollowell.

The dry weather crossing on Camp Chaffee Road Sept. 12, prior to work on Coyote Creek (left) and the crossing Oct. 11, after vegetation and sediment removal downstream from Camp Chaffee Road.

Perry Van Houten, Ojai Valley News reporter

Ahead of the rainy season, a $200,000 project to clear a section of creek in Foster Park has been completed.

The Coyote Creek debris removal effort began Sept. 21 in the tiny community of Camp Chaffee.

“We finished all the field work on Sept. 29,” said Karl Novak, operations and maintenance deputy director for the Ventura County Watershed Protection District (VCWPD).

The dry weather crossing on Camp Chaffee Road became impassable following heavy rains Feb. 17, when a torrent of water, mud and debris backed up the creek, inundating for several weeks 100 feet of the only public access into the neighborhood.

Residents said keeping the crossing open was a matter of safety in the event of an emergency.

A crew of five using an excavator and front-end loader worked to clear a section of creek downstream from the road crossing.

Charges also dropped against final Shangri La defendant

A cannabis-related felony charge against Robert Hoffman, co-founder of Ojai's Shangri-La Care Cooperative (SLCC), was dismissed in Ventura County Superior Court Oct. 11.

Hoffman was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. The charge was dismissed by the prosecution due to an inability to prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt, said Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Erin Meister.

With the dismissal of Hoffman's charge, all charges against the three SLCC members arrested by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office (VCSO) April 14, 2016 have been dropped.

Plans for former bowling alley are rolling along

Details

Published on Wednesday, 11 October 2017 14:27

Andra Belknap, Ojai Valley News reporter

Though the building and grounds at 1202 E. Ojai Ave look as abandoned as ever, work is underway to transform the former bowling alley into a brewery and 36-room hotel, confirmed Ojai architect Marc Whitman.

Whitman is working with property owner Tony Yanow to redevelop the parcel. Yanow purchased the space in June 2016.

Yanow founded Golden Road Brewery in 2011 and the business was acquired by Anheuser Busch InBev in 2015. Yanow's new, Ojai-based brewery will be known as “Los Padres Brewery,” Whitman said.

Whitman has gone through three Ojai Planning Commission concept reviews related to the project and is readying a design review application, he said.

Mandala painting tradition is 25 and going strong

River Sauvageau and her fellow Mandala Mavens created this sketch of the 2017 mandala.

Andra Belknap, Ojai Valley News reporter

River Sauvageau will take part in painting the Ojai Day mandala for the 25th time Oct. 20. The mandala began as a guerrilla art project, she said, but quickly gained city support.

Sauvageau remembered walking through town in the early 1990s, when former Ojai Day coordinator Jody James spotted her.

“'I heard you were involved in the mandala,'” James yelled from her passing car. “'I'm going to call you,'” Sauvageau recalled.

Thus began a partnership that has continued for two decades between the city of Ojai and the women who call themselves the Mandala Mavens.

“After 25 years, we have people who came as children now coming with their children to paint. It started as a guerrilla art project and it has become a tradition.” Sauvageau said. “This is a true Ojai tradition because it started from the ground up.”

Former Golden State customers should expect Casitas bills in early November

Details

Published on Wednesday, 11 October 2017 08:43

Perry Van Houten,Ojai Valley News reporter

It's been a hard few months, but officials with Casitas Municipal Water District (CMWD) say they're making progress in the changeover from Golden State Water Company (GSWC).

“It's been a much larger tour than I originally thought, but we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and by January we're hoping to have everything back to normal,” said Steve Wickstrum, CMWD general manager.

CMWD is in the process of finalizing service accounts and billing procedures for nearly 3,000 new customers.

“We've been trying to get it all cleaned up — the leftovers from Golden State that they transferred to us,” Wickstrum said.

Most of CMWD's new customers have submitted to Casitas the requisite water service application, but a few have not, he added.

Water meters that don't have a current application on file by Oct. 20 will be identified and noticed for a turn-off of service.

A two-vehicle collision in Upper Ojai Oct. 7 sent three people to the hospital with major injuries.

The crash was reported at 10:13 a.m. on Highway 150, west of Old Walnut Road.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), a 2005 Dodge, driven by a 47-year-old Oak View woman, was traveling east when it crossed into the westbound lane and struck a 2017 Hyundai head on.

The collision blocked both lanes of the highway.

The driver of the Dodge was extricated from her vehicle and flown by helicopter to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks with major injuries.

The driver of the Hyundai, an 89-year-old Oceanside man, and his passenger, an 81-year-old Santa Paula man, were both extricated and taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center with major injuries.

Highway 150 was shut down for approximately 90 minutes while emergency personnel worked to clear the crash, which is still under investigation by the CHP.

The 34th annual, self-guided, Ojai Studio Artists Tour is set for Oct. 14 through Oct. 16. The event will include a Kick-Off Art Preview Oct. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. and a “French Twist Gala” art reception Oct. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. Both events will be held at the Ojai Art Center. Be the first to send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the words "Ojai Studio Artists" in the subject line and you will win a pair of tickets to this year’s tour and the two special events. (Sculpture by Ted Gall)

Delancey Vogt, a Meiners Oaks Elementary School sixth-grader, participates in the school's color run event Oct. 4. The Meiners Oaks annual jog-a-thon fundraiser became a color run at the student leadership team's request, said Meiners Oaks Parent Teacher Organization President Gina Braget. “Color runs have become very popular over the last five or so years,” said Braget. “Apparently all the schools are doing them nowadays.” A color run is just what is sounds like: children run around a track while volunteers coat them in color powder made from a cornstarch and food dye mixture. “It's completely safe,” said Braget.

It's back to the drawing board (again) for a proposed building renovation at 334 E. Ojai Ave.

At its Oct. 4 meeting, the Ojai Planning Commission voted 4-3 to not recommend approval of the project to the Ojai City Council and instead recommended the applicant return with a revised design for further consideration.

The project includes a lot line adjustment to city-owned property and private property to accommodate an outdoor patio, and the commercial renovation of the existing building into restaurant space.

The main issue with the commissioners voting against the project was the proposed color scheme for the building.

The four who voted not to recommend approval were Steve Quilici, John Mirk, Rosalie Zabilla and Ray Powers.

Latest sports

Scott Snowbarger and Bob Ridgway teamed to shoot a 5-under, gross 67, to defeat Matt Murphy and Bruce Leichtfuss in a scorecard playoff to win the Soule Park Men's Club's October Fruit of the Loom Tournament.

"I don't know how we did it, but we did," said Ridgway. "We didn't play all that well other than putting."

The twosome benefited from an eagle chip-in from 105 yards out on the eighth hole by Snowbarger and a crucial birdie putt from 20 feet on the 14th hole, which eventually determined the tournament outcome.

Cash Kenton, practicing at the Ojai Skate Park, will skate in the biggest competition of the year, the Vans Pool Party. This event typically brings together the biggest names in the sport. The competition is by invitation only and skaters come from all over the world, including Brazil, Mexico, China, Germany. Kenton has made it to finals every year he has participated and hopes to get himself a place on the podium this year. Jordan Lee, also of Ojai, will be skating in this year’s contest. The Vans Pool Party will take place Oct. 14 and a live webcast can be seen by visiting www.vans.com.

Maria Schey, of the Nordhoff High School tennis team, serves up a ball in an Oct. 10 match against crosstown rival Villanova Preparatory School. Schey and the Lady Rangers dominated the day as they cruised to a 16-2 team win over Villanova.

Facing its toughest test of the season, the Nordhoff High School (NHS) football team responded by playing some of its best football of the season. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Rangers fell to the Oak Park Eagles, 22-18. The loss was the first of the season for the Rangers who are now 5-1 on the year.

Both defenses hit the field ready to play and set the tone early in the game. The first quarter was littered with three-and-out series and punts.

For Nordhoff, senior Ethane Sunder led the way early and had a key third-down sack to stop an Oak Park drive. Sophomore Korey Stevens also made some key defensive plays early in the game.

On the last play of the first quarter, the Eagles went to the air and connected for a big gain to get deep into Nordhoff territory. However, the Ranger defense started the second quarter by forcing a fumble and junior Brayden Rogers was there for the recovery.

The Nordhoff High School (NHS) football team will face its stiffest test of the season Oct. 6 when it travels to take on the Oak Park Eagles (2-2). After years of playing with NHS in the Tri-Valley League, the Eagles now call the Canyon League home along with Agoura, Royal and Simi Valley.

This season, Oak Park has defeated Peninsula (21-16) and West Adams (26-7) while they have lost to El Segundo (35-3) and West Ranch (48-21).

After defeating the San Marcos Royals, 35-13, Sept. 29, the Nordhoff High School (NHS) football team is just one of three Ventura County football teams to remain undefeated. The others yet to lose a game this season are Calabasas (5-0) and Rio Mesa (6-0).

Nordhoff wasted little time getting on the board against the Royals. In the opening drive of the game, NHS quarterback Parker Johnsen connected with Colby Stevens on back-to-back plays for big gains. Junior running back Brayden Rogers also was picking up chunks of yards behind Nordhoff’s big offensive line.

Facing a fourth-and-four play, Johnsen threw to Rogers who plowed his way to the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Jesse Kuehn kicked the point after and the Rangers took an early 7-0 lead.

When San Marcos took possession of the football, the Nordhoff defense got into the act when sophomore Korey Stevens intercepted a pass and zipped 25 yards for a touchdown. Before San Marcos knew what hit them, they trailed 14-0 and it looked like NHS was on its way to a blowout.

The 2017 Nordhoff High School cheer squad has been busy energizing Ranger fans this fall. The Rangers have hosted three home games this season and have had big, energetic crowds. This year’s squad is comprised of Hallie Albertson, Cheyenne Atherton, Lesly Bernabe, Lily Curtis, Cori De Fisher, Camryn Deason, Jennah Karlsen, Katie Koester, Tayler Looker, Angeliese Maggio, Rebecca Mahler, Brianna Masel, Emily Masel and Amber Whitney. Nordhoff has two remaining home games this season including Oct. 27 against powerhouse Bishop Diego and Nov. 3 against Santa Paula. Both are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Martin Sinkovic (right) is coming from Croatia to visit the Casitas Rowing team and share his knowledge and experience from the Rio Olympic Games. For more information, call Wendy Gillett at 258-8622.

The Rotary Club of Ojai recently honored Riley Schneider (left), an eighth-grader at Sunset School in Oak View, as the Physical Education Project Student of the Month. Schneider, according to school officials, is known as a person who reaches out to her peers to help them and always has a very positive attitude. She recently finished second out of 180 runners in a Ventura County Cross Country meet. Schneider also is on the U.S. Soccer Association team that meets in Camarillo four days a week and competes on the weekend year-round. “I want to first of all say thank you to the Rotary Club for this award and to all the people who have shaped me into who I am today. Thank you to my friends, family, teachers and coaches for teaching me life lessons that I will treasure forever. I especially want to thank my teachers, Ms. Paniagua, Mrs. Guzik and Mrs. McCullough, for supporting me in everything I do. But most of all I want to thank my mom, dad, grandma, and brother for pushing me,” said Schneider upon receiving the award.

Despite being 1-4 on the season, the San Marcos Royals are a dangerous team and when the Nordhoff High School (NHS) varsity football team welcomes the Royals to town Sept. 29, fans should expect a close game.

“They have a lot of size on their line and they have a quarterback (Jacob Villarreal) who is a dangerous player. He has missed the last couple of games with an injury, but we expect him to be back. We’ll need to contain him if we want to win,” said NHS head coach Lance Wiggins.

This season, the Royals have played Santa Ynez (65-22 loss), Morro Bay (35-19 win), Lompoc (72-14 loss), Hueneme (27-21 loss) and Channel Islands (28-10 loss). The one common opponent Nordhoff and San Marcos share is Hueneme.

Get off the line at the Ojai Inside Track Cross Country Invitational held at Lake Casitas are (from left) Sarah Avdeeff, Yami Herrera, Maria Ruvalcaba, Grace McHale and Carla Rodas from Nordhoff High School,

Ted Cotti,Ojai Valley News correspondent

More than 800 runners descended on the shores of Lake Casitas for the annual Ojai Inside Track Cross Country Invitational Sept. 23.

Mayfield’s Audrey Suarez won the girls’ race, in 18:54, while St. Joseph Santa Maria’s Joseph Domingues captured the boys’ event in 16 minutes.

Among the more than two dozen teams represented was The Thacher School boys’ squad, which starts the 2017 campaign ranked third in the CIF Southern Section and fifth in the state in Division V.